JAMIL MENA
So, I'm sittin' at home, mindin' my own business and instead of traipsing off to Blockbuster or Odyssey Video (99 cent rentals), I simply click on the computer and go to Logo TV to watch short films for F-R-E-E! And, boy oh boy am I glad I did. I stumbled across a short film, released in 2007, that truly blew me away: DOORMAN! You see, I lived in Jersey City for 10 years, in a beautiful, doorman building. However, NONE of my various doormen reminded me of the star of this short film: JAMIL MENA! Don't get me wrong, I liked Tom (whose brother lived across the hall from me and frequently turned his Diana Ross music up so loudly the roof shook! I just knew he was lip-synching to her music---in drag) and Charles (an ex-con who was bangin' a middle-aged tenant in the bldg and eventually moved in with her). But they just didn't have the same je ne sais quoi as actor, JAMIL MENA. Despite the supremely talented, lead actor's obvious physical charms, I was mostly moved by the internal self-loathing his character possessed. His strong desire for one of his building's male tenants just didn't jibe with his Latino machismo. In my adult life, I've met several guys who harbor the same internal strife about their sexuality. I mean, they knew what they wanted but felt so incredibly guilty for wanting it. Watching this film simply affirmed for me a belief I've had for years: we can deny who we are but for so long. Then, like a shocking yellow buoy in a suburban, public pool, the "real you" always rises to the surface!
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